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POL’s Greatest Chelsea Player: Qualification round voting part 1

By Ajitesh Rasgotra

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The Pride Of London is setting out to crown Chelsea’s greatest player of all time, as voted for by the fans! Today sees voting in the first batch of qualifying matches open.

Who is the greatest Chelsea player of all time? There are certainly a few candidates out there. At The Pride Of London, we’re looking to name that player in a bracket style tournament. Today sees eight players take part in head-to-head matches in which you decide who progresses.

We’ve already pieced together our 50 greatest Chelsea players, but it is now over to the fans to vote for their number one. The seeding has been determined by the ranking in our list. The tournament will start with the 36 lowest ranked players squaring off in a bid to make the tournament proper.

The highest ranked of these 36 will face off with the lowest and so on for the other matches (ie. overall seed 15 will be matched with seed 50, 16 v 49). The 18 victorious will join the other 14 in the Round of 32. The competition will then progress bracket style.

Think March Madness.

Here are the match-ups for today (click through the links to see their full bio and scroll to the bottom to cast your vote):

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink (15) v William Foulke (50)

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink was a stalwart of Stamford Bridge as times were changing. The Dutchman hit the back of the net almost 90 times during four years with the Blues. Even though he never won silverware with the club, he remains a fan-favourite.

William Foulke, nicknamed ‘Fatty’ for his considerable size, was the club’s first goalkeeper. While Chelsea have seen some great shot-stoppers, Foulke still holds the record for the most consecutive clean sheets with 9 during the 1905/06 campaign.

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Ricardo Carvalho (16) v Ken Shellito (49)

Ricardo Carvalho helped Chelsea usher in significant success under Roman Abramovich. His 8 trophies and 200+ appearances cemented his standing as one of the club’s greatest defenders.

Ken Shellito turned out 285 times in seven seasons for Chelsea, before injury ended his career. As a fullback, he was able to win the League Cup with the Blues before going on to become their manager.

Michael Ballack (17) v Paul Canoville (48)

With 166 appearances, Michael Ballack further added to his packed trophy cabinet as a Blue. Three FA Cups, one League Cup and a Premier League title were won during his West London stay as the German oozed quality in the middle of the park.

Paul Canoville made history by overcoming prejudice and adversity to be the first black player to take the field for Chelsea. Always in the face of abuse and hatred, Canoville helped the Blues win the Second Division and he will always be remembered as a key figure in the club’s history.

Eidur Gudjohnsen (18) v David Webb (47)

Six seasons saw Eidur Gudjohnsen roll in silverware. Happy to take up a more midfield role to support Chelsea’s prolific strikers, the Icelandic forward was integral to the team. It is safe to say that his two Premier League titles and League Cup victory were thoroughly deserved.

David Webb is a cult icon at the Bridge. Despite being a natural fullback, he also filled in at striker and goalkeeper. Fans will remember him for his goal that saw Chelsea clinch their first FA Cup trophy in their history. A Cup Winners’ Cup was also added to his cabinet.

Those are the match-ups, vote below! Make sure you subscribe to our mailing list for updates and other great content. Also, join us on Twitter and Facebook for social fun.

Share your thoughts and memories in the comments below!

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